This article
mentions the Hygiene Hypothesis: "There is evidence that having an overly clean environment might contribute to allergies and susceptibility to infections.:
Taking this to it’s logical conclusion (I hate that phrase) has anyone developed a deliberate treatment? “Here, take this pill which contains a cocktail of relatively relatively benign bacteria - but which will still boost your immune system.”
Note - this is NOT about vaccines.
I’m not sure that would work, as a lot of the idea is that these exposures need to be had early on, before the immune system has learned to overreact.
The exception is for specific allergens, where we use allergy shots that contain a very small amount of the specific allergen. But this has limited effectiveness.
There have been trials of helminth therapy (intentional infection with intestinal parasites) in an attempt to co-opt their immune modulating ability to treat autoimmune disease in the host:
Here’s an analysis suggesting that the term “hygiene hypothesis” is a misnomer and needs to be retired.
“Data show that relevant microbial exposures are almost entirely unrelated to hygiene as the public understands it.”
“It is likely that success will only be achieved through combined effects of lifestyle changes, together with improved diet and reduced antibiotic prescribing. Nevertheless, data are now strong enough to encourage changes, such as encouraging natural childbirth, physical interaction between siblings and non-siblings, more sport and other outdoor activities (including babies in prams), and less time spent indoors, and reduced antibiotic consumption.”
Taking a “good microbes” pill, especially in isolation is not likely to be an effective means of establishing and maintaining a healthy microbiome.
I don’t get it.
Am I the only one that doesn’t want his carpets to get dirty and worn from the dirt, pebbles, and other debris on the bottom of his shoes? I’m not worried about bacteria.
Thanks to all for replying. I am once again convinced that the world encompasses things “stranger than I can imagine”.
No, you’re not the only one! That’s the first thing I thought of.
An aside. When I was younger (10 years old) an adult neighbor called this the “Ben Herman Contamination Hypothesis.” He would use the [5,10,15] Second Rule as an example of how we tend to contaminate ourselves in trivial ways.
(For those unaware, the X Second Rule is how short a time after food hits the floor that you won’t pick it up and eat it.)